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The most popular sets are only available in limited quantities anyway. Well, that's not always true some high-quality sets are sold on sites like Pimp My Keyboard and Originative, but they aren't always in stock. Because these are limited production runs, you can't just head over to a website and buy them. Just like with artisan caps, you're essentially out of luck if you miss the original sale. A few group buys were such a mess that people never got their caps at all. However, delays are common, and some buyers have waited a year or more for to be delivered. The best case scenario with keyset group buys is that you get your keycaps in three or four months. So, you and a few hundred people pay your money, and some months later the keycaps are delivered fresh off the production line. The group buy usually needs to hit a minimum order quantity (MOQ) before it will be produced-manufacturers aren't going to set up tooling to make 20 sets of keycaps, after all. In a group bu y, you and a bunch of other people bundle your orders for a keyset and send the money to the organizer, who places the order. Many group buys are run by individuals on forums, but there are also group buys operating on sites like Massdrop (opens in new tab) and a myriad of smaller operations like Ke圜lack and The Van Keyboards.
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So, we need to resort to group buys.Ī group buy is a bit like a pre-order, except it's the buyer (you) taking the risk instead of a retailer. Even the most popular sets are a drop in the bucket compared to keycaps made for enterprise customers-enthusiasts are a tiny percentage of the business of making keycaps. So, companies that exist to produce keycaps for industrial machinery and retail POS consoles are contracted to make the fancy custom sets enthusiasts are after.
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#Artisan keycaps full
Producing a full set of keycaps requires machinery that regular people simply don't have. A full keyset comes with its own distinct supply issues.
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